black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

No paradox, no progress.

Niels Bohr

There are two sorts of truth: trivialities, where opposites are clearly absurd, and profound truths, recognised by the fact that the opposite is also a profound truth.
NIELS BOHR

Deep Mad Recognition Truth
Nothing exists until it is measured.
NIELS BOHR

Existence One Liner
You must come to Copenhagen to work with us. We like people who can actually perform thought experiments!
NIELS BOHR

Experiement People Science Work Yourself
It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we say about nature.
NIELS BOHR

Learning Nature Theory Thinking Wrong
Truth and clarity are complementary.
NIELS BOHR

One Liner Science Truth
When searching for harmony in life one must never forget that in the drama of existence we are ourselves both actors and spectators.
NIELS BOHR

Drama Existence Forget Life Ourselves Peace Search
If an idea does not appear bizarre, there is no hope for it.
NIELS BOHR

Creativity Hope Ideas Inspirational Work
The meaning of life consists in the fact that it makes no sense to say that life has no meaning.
NIELS BOHR

Life Philosophy Wisdom
If you have a correct statement, then the opposite of a correct statement is of course an incorrect statement, a wrong statement. But when you have a deep truth, then the opposite of a deep truth may again be a deep truth.
NIELS BOHR

Philosophy Truth Wisdom Wrong Yourself
I go into the Upanishads to ask questions.
NIELS BOHR

Book Myself Religious
No, no, you’re not thinking; you’re just being logical.
NIELS BOHR

Funny Logic Thinking Yourself
Our task is not to penetrate the essence of things, the meaning of which we do not know anyway, but rather to develop concepts which allow us to talk in a productive way about phenomena in nature
NIELS BOHR

Development Nature Ourselves Talk
Oh what idiots we have all been, this is just as it must be.
NIELS BOHR

Idiot Spiritual
Your theory is crazy, but it’s not crazy enough to be true.
NIELS BOHR

Crazy Enough Science Technology Theory True Yourself
The measurement we get when we measure something is not a property of the thing measured.
NIELS BOHR

Measure Property Science
The present state of atomic theory is characterized by the fact that we not only believe the existence of atoms to be proved beyond a doubt, but also we even believe that we have an intimate knowledge of the constituents of the individual atoms.
NIELS BOHR

Believe Beyond Character Doubt Knowledge Science Theory
Every valuable human being must be a radical and a rebel, for what he must aim at is to make things better than they are.
NIELS BOHR

Himself Human Value
When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry.
NIELS BOHR

Language Poetry Science
Physics is the belief that a simple and consistent description of nature is possible.
NIELS BOHR

Belief Nature Possible Simplicity
Of course I don’t believe in it pointing to horseshoe on his office wall. But I understand that it brings you luck whether you believe in it or not.
NIELS BOHR

Believe Faith Understand Wall Yourself
A physicist is just an atom’s way of looking at itself.
NIELS BOHR

Science Way
There are trivial truths and the great truths. The opposite of a trivial truth is plainly false. The opposite of a great truth is also true.
NIELS BOHR

Deep Fake Greatness Truth Wisdom
In our description of nature the purpose is not to disclose the real essence of the phenomena but only to track down, so far as it is possible, relations between the manifold aspects of our experience.
NIELS BOHR

Experience Nature Possible Purpose Reality
When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts as with creating images and establishing mental connections.
NIELS BOHR

Connection Creation Establishment Language Mental Photograph Poet Poetry Science
We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question which divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct. My own feeling is that it is not crazy enough.
NIELS BOHR

Crazy Enough Feeling Theory
Accuracy and clarity of statement are mutually exclusive.
NIELS BOHR

Science Support
Every sentence I utter must be understood not as an affirmation, but as a question.
NIELS BOHR

Myself Science Understand

No paradox, no progress.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

No paradox, no progress.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Niels Bohr Quotes